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District 220 Board of Education meets tonight

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Look For The Union Label, Organizations, Pension Funding, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, School Districts, Snowflake Effect, Transparency, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on June 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

 

The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • FOIA Reports
  • Revised Personnel Report
  • Student Disciplinary Committee Report
  • Hazardous Crossing Resolution
  • List of Authorized Depositories
  • Post-Issuance Tax Compliance Report
  • Renew Treasurer’s Bond
  • Consideration to Approve Summer Break 2027 BHS Choir Trip to Italy, Slovenia, and Austria
  • Consideration to Approve Intergovernmental Agreement with the Village of Barrington
  • Consideration to Approve Transform 220 Bid
  • Consideration to Approve Modification of Project Work Order #12 to the Pepper Construction Company Master Agreement
  • Communications Department Update

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live streamed on the district YouTube channel.

Related: “Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job,” “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency”

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(Please) WATCH: Experts say increased spending doesn’t mean better students

Posted in Barrington Education Association, Education, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Springfield, The Center Square, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on May 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels

By Esther Wickham | The Center Square

Spending more taxpayer dollars doesn’t make kids smarter, according to experts.

As K-12 test scores and student proficiency rates continue to decline nationwide, education experts question whether increased education funding is improving student outcomes or merely contributing to inefficiencies within the public school system.

National Assessment of Educational Progress data released in 2024 show that the average reading score for 12th-grade students fell three points since 2019 and is 10 points lower than the first assessment in 1992. Average math scores for 12th graders have also declined by three points since 2019.

Critics argue the issue is not a lack of funding, but how education dollars are being spent

“We don’t have an education funding problem. We have an education spending problem,” Ryan Walters, CEO of Teacher Freedom Alliance, told The Center Square.

Walters said increased funding has often gone toward administrative bloat rather than students and teachers. He said schools should be raising academic standards, improving accountability and implementing school choice programs to give parents more control over their children’s education.

“School choice is a huge factor in this. We need that universally across the country so that if schools are low performing and they don’t want to shape up, parents should be able to take their kids somewhere else,” Walters said.

Please read more and watch a video here.

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Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony Today

Posted in Education, Entertainment, The Greatest Generation, Topics Of Interest on May 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

“Honor our nation’s heroes at Barrington’s annual Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony on Monday, May 25.

The parade will step off at 10:30 a.m. from the Veterans Memorial on Park Avenue. It will proceed west on Main Street, turn left on Dundee Avenue, and then head right into Evergreen Cemetery.

A ceremony at Evergreen Cemetery will follow the parade at 11 a.m. Come together with the community to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed for our nation”

Source: Village of Barrington

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Pritzker board eliminates poor attendance from Illinois school ratings

Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Crime, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Policy Institute, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Snowflake Effect, Springfield, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on May 21, 2026| 1 Comment »

High chronic absenteeism will no longer hurt a school’s state rating.

By Hannah Schmid | Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois plans to eliminate poor attendance from school ratings at a time when a fourth of the state’s students miss a significant chunk of the academic year.

In an overhaul the State Board of Education approved in April, “chronic absenteeism,” or missing 10% or more of the school year with or without a valid excuse, will no longer ding a school’s rating. All nine current board members were appointed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The new system will use the term “consistent attendance,” the percentage of students present 90% or more of the school year.

That semantic switch may confuse parents about what’s really being measured, though it’s just a different way of saying the same thing. But the revised system also changes attendance from a “core indicator” in the rankings to merely an “elevating indicator.”

Why that matters: Strong “consistent attendance” will raise a school’s rating, but a weak performance won’t hurt it.

The state calls this a “strengths-based” approach, but it means the high rates of students skipping class across Illinois won’t affect schools’ ratings.

Report continues here.

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District 220 Board of Education meets tonight

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Education, His Master's Voice, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Look For The Union Label, Mad Cows, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on May 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • FOIA Reports
  • Revised Personnel Report
  • Kelsey Road House Parking Lot Amendment
  • Consideration to Approve BSEO Job Reclassification
  • Consideration to Approve Guaranteed Energy Savings Contract (GESC) and Contract Amendment with Greenlight Design Partners for the District LED Lighting Conversion Project

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live streamed on the district YouTube channel.

Related: “Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job,” “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency”

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Hey Brian and David: Touch A Truck Tuesday!

Posted in Barrington Area Library, Education, Entertainment on May 16, 2026| 1 Comment »

Touch A Truck 2026!
Tuesday, May 19, 9:30 AM – Noon | Drop In
Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Highway
With the Village of Barrington’s Public Works Department
All ages w/caregiver (Anna)

“Get your hard hat, put on a mustache, and get to work exploring the Barrington Public Works department’s fleet of awesome vehicles! Blow the horn, turn the steering wheel, and see what it’s like to drive a BIG rig! Join in a construction-themed story time, and join us in filling a truck with non-perishable food for the Public Works food drive for our two local township food pantries. Hats and mustaches while supplies last!

This event is VERY popular, so consider walking, carpooling, or exploring nearby public parking options. Thanks for your patience – we look forward to seeing you!”

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Convicted former Illinois Speaker gives Pritzker advice (from prison)

Posted in Economy, Education, Fat Bastard, Politics, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on May 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Rich Hein, Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file

Quick Hits | The Center Square

Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan – from federal prison over corruption charges – penned an op-ed this week calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to accept the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program.

The program, which Pritzker has been reluctant to opt the state into, would allow people to deduct up to $1,700 from their federal taxes if they donate to a qualifying K-12 scholarship granting program.

Republicans in Springfield also called on Pritzker to opt in this week.

Both Madigan and the Republicans argued the governor is putting politics over the needs of citizens.

Find more news here.

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University of Chicago Waives Tuition for Families Making Under $250,000

Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, New Normal?, The New York Times, The Other Half on May 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The University of Chicago campus. | E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune, via ZUMA Press Wire

By Vimal Patel | The New York Times

The University of Chicago will provide free tuition to students of families earning less than $250,000 a year, creating one of the most generous financial-aid offers in the nation at a moment when lawmakers and parents are scrutinizing the value of a college degree.

Colleges have been in a race to raise the income limits for free tuition in recent years. The university’s announcement on Wednesday explained the move as a way to make an institution with a $98,000-per-year sticker price more accessible to students from modest backgrounds.

“By deepening our commitment to affordability, we are helping to ensure that the brightest minds can join us,” Paul Alivisatos, the university’s president, said in a statement.

Chicago joins Princeton in raising its threshold for tuition to $250,000. Other selective schools have raised their income limits for free tuition to $200,000 in recent years, including Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania.

Article continues here.

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Tickets now on sale for the Obama Presidential Center

Posted in Education, Entertainment, Organizations, Politics, Unions on May 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Click here to purchase tickets to the Obama Presidential Center opening June 19.

Tickets for those 12 and above are $30 and children 3-11 are $23. Children 2 and under are free and Illinois residents are $26 for 12 and above and $15 for 3-11.

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District 220 Board of Education meets tonight

Posted in Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Data Center, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Immigration, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Look For The Union Label, Open Meetings Act, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on May 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:

  • FOIA Reports
  • Board Committee Reports: Finance Committee, Facilities Committee, Policy Committee, Legislative Committee, Equity Committee, Health Insurance Committee, Referendum Construction Steering Committee, Safety & Security Committee
  • Revised Personnel Report
  • Minutes
  • Consideration to Approve Paper Contract
  • Consideration to Approve Second Reading of Board Polic(ies)
  • Consideration to Approve the Reciprocal Reporting Agreement with the Sheriff of Lake County
  • Social Media Awareness and Digital Citizenship Update

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live streamed on the district YouTube channel.

Related: “Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job,” “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency”

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